Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira confirmed negotiations were ongoing to face his next opponent.
Oliveira was last seen in action against reigning 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 last October. He went into the bout looking to reclaim the title he dropped on the scales in his prior outing with Justin Gaethje at UFC 274. Makhachev put in an impressive performance and dispatched the greatest finisher in the history of the promotion by submission in the second round.
Following the loss, Oliveira’s camp indicated his intentions to stay on the sidelines and take some time off in recovery. He expressed interest in taking on Louisiana bruiser Dustin Poirier in a rematch and remained open to the possibility of competing against a surging prospect such as the top-five ranked lightweight contender Beneil Dariush.
In a recent interview with Sherdog, ‘do Bronx’ confirmed he was in talks with the promotion regarding a showdown with Dariush.
“It’s true that we are negotiating to face Dariush, who is coming from a gigantic sequence of wins,” Oliveira admitted. “My managers Jorge Patino and Diego Lima are taking care of that. As I said in other interviews, that’s a moment where we have to think with reason not emotion. I must fight the one who will take me to the title shot.”
Dariush is coming off a commanding victory over rising sensation Mateusz Gamrot in his last outing. The grappling maestro powered through the wrestling prowess of Gamrot to extend his winning run to eight and inch closer in the mix of title contention.
Oliveira Will Fight Dariush if It Brings Him Closer to a Title Shot
Oliveira had called out former two-division champion Conor McGregor for a fight in his return to the octagon. However, his calls went unanswered as the ‘Notorious’ got paired with Michael Chandler for his comeback.
“Conor McGregor is not fighting, so I think we need to focus on the top of the division,” Oliveira said (transcribed by MMA Junkie). “After seeing the cries with the belts got me some energy to be back. So my focus is to fight in April, and then fight for a title at the end of the year.
“Everybody is talking about Dariush, but I think I need to think with my mind, not really my heart. If the UFC thinks he’s the name, it’s fine. But let’s see what I decide.”
He would like to get a top contender bout in the next two or three months in the hopes of another shot at the gold later.
“My plan is [to] fight April or May, and fight again for the belt by the end of the year [against] the winner of [Alexander] Volkanovski and Makhachev.”
Oliveira Breaks Down Volkanovski vs Makhachev
Oliveira shared his breakdown of the nearing clash between featherweight champion and pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in the headlining bout of UFC 284 this Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
“It’s a style matchup,” Oliveira noted. “Volkanovski is better standing up, and defends well [against] throws, if he mixes his calf kicks with his speed and in-and-out game, he may knock out Makhachev. But if Islam can grapple him and take him down, imposing his ground-and-pound and submissions, he must win.
“It will be a question of who will be able to impose his game.”
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Charles Oliveira Negotiating To Face UFC Dark Horse